Cell Phones Helping to Guide the Blind

In Stockholm, wireless technology helps blind people navigate independently, thanks to voice advisories from their mobile phones. Computerworld reports.

"The prototype system, uses a Nokia 6300 Symbian phone with earphones and a separate GPS unit linked to the phone through Bluetooth.

The complete system was tested by about a dozen sight-impaired and blind people in Sweden’s capital in late 2006. The navigation application locates the user and plots a path to the destination using a highly detailed GIS created and maintained by the city mainly for street maintenance and traffic management purposes.

The voice guide then alerts the user to upcoming turns and obstacles through early warnings, rather than instructing every move. The voice alerts (in Swedish) include phrases like “left turn in 10 meters” or “low wall on the right.” ...

emily | 8:04 AM | SMS for Deaf/Disabilities |
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